1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to games, and, more particularly to a board game where the object is for players to form square patterns by placing pieces on a checker-type game board. A player accumulates points for each square pattern formed and the player with the highest point total wins.
2. Description of Related Art
Games provide players with a source of entertainment and mental stimulation. Some of the most popular games are played on "boards" which are often marked off into patterns or other kinds of divisions. Perhaps the most well known game board is the checker/chess game board. The popularity of board games is evidenced by games disclosed in the background art.
One popular game enjoyed by many is the game of squares, which is commonly played using a pencil and paper. When using a pencil and paper, the players must first construct a playing field by making a series of dots equidistant from each other and in parallel rows. Then the players take turns connecting the dots while attempting to form squares. As the game progresses, dots are connected until three sides of a square on a portion of the playing field are formed. The player who draws the line forming the fourth side of a square scores a point, and marks his or her initial within the square as a tally. The player having formed the most squares at the end of the game wins. The popularity of the game of squares is reflected in a number of board game references disclosed in the background art.
U.S. Pat. No. 429,250, issued to Sperl et al., discloses a game board having a series of intersecting grooves forming a number of disconnected squares. Two players take turns at inserting small sticks or blocks, having lengths corresponding to the lengths of the sides of the squares, into the grooves while attempting to fully surround the greatest number of squares prior to the end of the game. The player who has enclosed the greatest number of squares is the winner. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 1,666,359, issued to Steves, discloses a game board adapted for playing the well known games of checkers and chess. The board further defines a series of intersecting grooves such that the board may also be used for playing the game of squares.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,342,884, issued to Anderson, discloses a board game apparatus having a plurality of upwardly projecting posts disposed in rows. Each post includes angularly spaced sockets extending toward the adjacent members. Players take turns placing elongated pieces in position connecting adjacent post members, either in a direction parallel to the side of the game board or diagonally thereto. The object for each player is to place in the socket the third playing piece which completes the outlining of a triangle. The player who completes the most triangles wins.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,979, issued to Vaseen, discloses a board game wherein players, using colored chips, attempt to form patterns of numbers, letters, or geometric designs. Values are established for each pattern to determine the winner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,531, issued to McNamara, discloses a board game having a board which includes two distinguishable sets of nodes, each set of nodes being fixed to the board in an intermingled pattern. Players place game pieces on the board and relative to said nodes to achieve a desired pattern.
The games of the background art neither teach, nor suggest, a squares board game having game pieces that may be placed to form open-sided and/or closed-sided squares and wherein scoring is dependent upon the relative sides of the squares. Furthermore, the references of the background art do not disclose a multi-level squares board game wherein squares may be formed vertically.